


The Illumina Cafe

by Paidendryl



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill's kind of crazy and fucked up, Blood, Detective Dipper, M/M, Officer Mabel, Past Memories, Serial Killer! Bill, Slow Burn, gore stuff, lots of fluff in later chapters, tags may change and adjust to story as it goes, warnings in certain chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-05 21:03:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6723364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paidendryl/pseuds/Paidendryl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the Illumina Café-and night bar! We hope you have a grand time!</p>
<p>Top detective and police chief Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to Gravity Falls for the infamous 'Blue Fire' Case that has all the citizens on their toes. With the murders, missing people, and alleged blue fires increasing, the twins are finding the case getting more difficult with each passing second. Strange enough yet, the owner of Illumina Café has a dark past of his own. Can the twins dig up the skeletons in the closet before everything they know burns to ashes?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I don't know why I wrote this either. But pls enjoy!

_A young boy with golden eyes watched as his father methodically pierced into the white creamy skin on the lab table with a sharped butcher’s knife. Fearful blue eyes stared up at the darkened eyes that narrowed in concentration._

_A muffled scream rang out from duct-tape covered lips, causing the child to flinch as he stood, shoulders trembling in trepidation._

_“Shh…” Came the soft whisper from his father, “You don’t want to embarrass me in front of my kid,_ do _you?” The deep voice asked, threateningly as they gave the knife a quick twist, his wrist jerking to the right, making another muffled cry come from the frightened female. The boy turned away, eyes squeezed shut as he tried hopelessly to block out the noise._

_The horrible sounds of bones_ snapping _and the_ slicing _of skin pierced right through the child’s ears like the very knife that was slicing into the woman._

_“William.”_

_A quick exhale left the boy’s lips at the call of his name. He was breathing heavily, heart racing and eyes watering. His hands were clenched tightly into balls of fists and he swallowed thickly._

_“Look.”_

_He didn’t budge, his head still turned away as hot tears slipped past his closed eyelids. He didn’t dare turn, didn’t_ dare _look at the horrific sight in front of him._

_“You can’t deny what’s in your blood.”_

_Those words hit him like a slap in his face. He opened his eyes, tears now freely escaping and falling down the sides of his cheeks like rushing waterfalls. This was true. He knew it was true. The sickening feeling of wanting to be the one to cause all that gruesome damage awakened in him and he slowly unfurled his fists. His stomach twisted in disgust and terror, but his blood pumped with adrenaline and thrill._

_“William, come here.”_

_The simple demand held a deep meaning behind it. The boy slowly, very slowly, turned his head forehead and his stomach nearly lurched forward at the sight. The female’s chest was split open, ribs hanging loosely to the sides of her torn flesh. Blood was everywhere, dripping off of the mangled skin and onto the ground with a steady_ tap, tap _. His dad was holding her head in a vice like grip, forcing her to look at him. Her face was twisted into a ghastly expression of pain and fear, her eyes were glossy with tears, red and puffy from all that horrible crying. Her nose dripped with snot and mucus and she seemed to be imploring for the child’s help._

_Suddenly, there was a hand in front of him, his father’s hand to be exact. He saw the reflection of his tearful self through the reflective surface of the knife’s blade. His eyes were wide, his face blank and red. Then, the knife was in his hand. He stared at the object, something flickering to life within him._

_“Kill her.”_

_Could he?_

_The child stalked forward, gradually, like a predator easing itself into the kill. His palms were sweaty and shaking as he approached the frightened woman. His free hand reached out to caress her cheek, wiping at the tear trail as she trembled from the bittersweet touch. She let out muffled whimpers, head shaking in protest as his father’s hands left her. He moved his hand up, grasping onto the black strands and pulling, forcing her head back to expose her freckled neck. More whimpers that turned into muffled pleas._

_The boy frowned. Setting the knife down, he reached for the tape and_ shhhhhhhhhk! _With one swift movement, he ripped the silver-grey material off. She cried out, her voice now loud and he liked it._

_“Please don’t do this, please don’t do this!” She begged, more like screamed at him, “You’re just a kid! A good kid! You can save yourself from this! Just let me go…god, let me go!”_

_Mouth twitching down, he plunged the knife deep into her throat, twisting it for good measure before pulling it out, leaving her to choke as blood seeped past her red, plump lips and out of her neck. The skin was painted in a dark crimson red, staining it and her bare body as it traveled downwards to meet the pool of blood gathering on the tiled floor._

_“Good, William. Very good,” A pleased voice said. The child didn’t react, rather he moved to spread her left eyelid apart with his index and thumb, widening it. The woman was still alive,_ barely though _, as he did so and her blue eyes stayed fixated on him and the knife. He could see the fear that lingered, see the horror that reflected back his fascination as he watched her try to pass on her weak request to be set free. Not much good that would do though, she was steadily dying from blood loss and even he knew she wouldn’t be with them much longer. So, without wasting a breath on her petty plea, he thrust the knife all the way to the hilt into her eye. Her mouth widened as an animalistic howl of pain escaped and she twitched violently, arms and body struggling horribly against the brown leather restraints. With a quick tug, he pulled the knife out, wincing at the disgusting squelching noise it made and the loud ‘_ pop! _’ that the eye made as it came out of her socket with the knife, the woman screaming, gurgling, and crying as loud as she possibly could._

_Then, it stopped._

_Silence met his ears and he let the knife clamber down to the ground, the object making a_ clanking _sound as it landed on the floor. He didn’t jump as a large hand clasped onto his right shoulder or as a voice whispered in his ears._

_“Welcome to the business, son.”_

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

The annoying cry of the alarm clock sounded blaringly through the quiet household. The owner of such an atrocious device groaned from beneath the pillows over their head and wormed an arm through the blanket tangled around them. Their arm searched blindly for the button that would end the cry of the alarm, desperate to return to that comfortable sleep from whence they came from. Once the button was found, the hand curled into a fist and _slammed_ down on it before slithering back into the warm cocoon. The being inside shifted, pulling their head from underneath the confines of the pillow and sighing as he planted it on top of the plush object. Golden eyes peeked out from thick lashes before squeezing them shut at soft morning light that filtered through the curtains. He knew he should be getting up by now, after all, he had a _café_ to run and it wouldn’t do being late, even though he practically owned the joint.

But, the man _hated_ being late to things.

Letting out a deep sigh, he threw the sheets back, inviting the cold air and shuddering. He was half tempted to yank the blankets back around him, but he knew if he did that, he’d never get up. So, working past his reluctance, he sat up, tossing his legs over the side of the bed and shivering when his bare feet touched the ground, though he could’ve sworn he had gone to bed wearing socks. One glance at the floor and bed told him he had kicked them off yet again. Rolling his eyes, he got up and stretched, letting out a soft sigh as his back and muscles popped, releasing the tension from his slumber. Running a hand through his long golden-blondish hair, he walked out of his bedroom and prepared for the day.

He entered his bathroom, flickering on the light switch and wincing at the bright light that flooded the room. His bathroom wasn’t a fancy one, but it wasn’t bland either. The walls were painted a rich golden color that reminded him of the late afternoon sun. There was a small skylight window above him, a marbled counter with the shower just a few feet away, with the toilet sitting across from them both. The man examined his face, noting he was gaining a small amount of stubble and a bit of dark red on his freckled cheek. He frowned glumly and turned on the faucet.

The man had tan skin that was sprinkled with light spots of freckles. His face was kind of round, but more heart shaped. His nose was small and his lips a lovely shade of pink. He glanced at his left eye that was exposed before making quick work to grab his white bandages and wrap it, concealing the eye so that only his right eye showed. The color was of a deep, golden one that reminded him of fresh honey; warm and sticky, and inviting. He wasn’t that built, more leaned with small muscles that slightly showed if he flexed hard enough. He brushed his blonde locks that reached down to the middle of his back before tie it in a pony-tail, adding two rubber bands to make a bubble ponytail.

Cupping his hands under the water, he raised it to his face and splashed it with the warm liquid. He really hated getting blood on him, it was unsightly and gross. He washed his face as best as he could, not wanting to miss any spots from last night’s kill. An old woman in her mid-thirties that had become a major thorn in his side. As he reached for a towel to dry his face, his dream flashed in his mind. Well, it was a hardly a dream and more a memory he had hoped to never recall. Nothing’s worse than remembering your first kill. He let out a low sigh, shaking his head and getting back to the task at hand.

“Focus, Bill,” he muttered to himself.

He had work to do. His shop was going to open in a few minutes and he needed to be dressed. He made one last glance at himself and smiled, his face was clean and void of any red.

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

The **_Illumina-Café_** _and Night Bar_ , a quaint little shop that was set up in the very heart of Gravity Falls, Oregon. The place had been running since the late eighties, and despite it being old, the small building stood tall like a beacon, beckoning to the citizens with its large curvy font and signature triangle that had a bowtie and top hat with a closed eye. Though at night, when the sign was lit up with a black outline and vibrant yellow flashing lights, the triangle’s eye sign would open and close and moved from left to right during the night.

Bill sighed happily with relief as he made it to his work-with only a few seconds to spare! He walked in, greeting one of his employees who had already began bringing out the sweets and cakes that were kept cooling for the night. The inside of the shop was fancy, yet snazzy and hip at the same time, the only difference was that it kept upgrading to match with the modern world. The walls were black, bordered with vibrant golden paint. Various pictures of different people or random triangles of countless colors hung around the joint. Round tables were scattered about with bronze steel chairs that had black paddings on it so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Catchy and soothing jazz music played around, giving the place a relaxed atmosphere. Though at night, when it transformed into a night bar, the place was filled with multiple colored lights, dancing music, and the exotic night people that came to have a good time.

“Cipher!” A voice called out from behind the black and cold marble bar counter, “Have ya seen the news?” Bill looked to where the voice sounded and smiled at who it was.

Pyronica Vane-Storm, a beautiful woman with dark skin. She had bright pink hair that was swept to the side, with the left part buzzed cut, and it was home to a headband with a small top hat attached to it. Her left eye was concealed by her long bangs, revealing only her right, which was covered by a single deep red contact. Her lips were full and covered with shiny dark lipstick. She was wearing the standard employee outfit for women, a simple black skirt that stopped before the knees with a long sleeve white button up shirt that was neatly tucked in, along with its sleeves rolled up halfway, covered by a dark vest. And lastly, around her neck, an elegant black bowtie. This was pretty much the standard look for everyone that worked here, but the men’s was obviously replaced with pants instead of a skirt.

Bill turned to the large TV screen that was currently displaying the news. There was a brunette reporter talking, behind her, paramedics and police officers, along with firemen littered the place. Bill’s eye widened a bit.

“What happened?” He asked. Pyronica clicked her tongue.

“Another house was burned down by one of those mystifying blue fires,” Pyronica said, her voice was slightly scratchy and gruff, but you could easily hear the feminine side in it, “The couple inside was burned to a crisp, but the woman was bearing the mark of the killer.”

“Blue fires…” Bill murmured, his eye staying on the screen as the woman introduced someone young looking.

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

“We’re here at the scene of the crime, where a couple has just been brutally killed in a tragic fire,” The reporter said, “Local residents say they heard a loud scream and the house was suddenly up in the mysterious blue flames that has everyone shaking. Firemen have tried putting out, but the fire seems to be immune to the water, only growing stronger with each try, but then to suddenly _vanish_ , leaving the house blackened and the victims still inside.”

As the reporter continued telling the tragic tale, a red car entered the scene. Two figures inside gazed out at the horrible mess of men and woman, and locals dressed in night attire, trying to solve this case. The younger of the two, a boy with unruly dark brown hair and chestnut eyes stared out at the scene. His eyes were narrowed forward, as if studying and searching for a clue that everyone wasn’t getting.

“Ready for this, kid?” A gruff voice beside him asked. The male turned towards the older one beside him.

“I-I think so…” He said, his voice belying the confident font he held. The man patted his shoulder, giving him a reassuring grin.

“Hey, you’re the Great Detective Pines, remember?” The man said, “The force didn’t welcome you in its arms because you’re my great nephew,” He smiled, “It was because you were the top recommended officer in any state. Dipper Pines, reincarnated Sherlock Holmes!”

“Thanks, Grunkle Stan,” the boy said, running a hand through his hair, “I’m just so… _nervous_. I mean, from what I read about this, it’s _unsolvable_ ,” He frowned, “Higher ups have tried to figure out the mystery behind the blue fire and the killer’s link, but so far, no one’s succeeded. What if…what if I’m like them?” He gulped. Stan sighed, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“Dipper, when you were a kid, you solved cases of missing oranges from backyards or missing files that your Great Uncle Ford misplaced. You were able to solve codes within mere minutes, and now, you can solve them in _seconds_. You don’t have to worry about not being able to solve this one. You’re a better pro than I am! And I _used_ to be a criminal!” The man laughed. Dipper laughed along as well, his Grunkle’s words making him feel better.

“I _guess_ I am pretty good…” He said sheepishly. Stan beamed and pulled him against his side, hugging him.

“That’s the spirit! Plus, you’ve got an advantage that most other officers _don’t_.”

“What’s that?”

“A partner!”

Dipper blinked in confusion and frowned, “A partner? Grunkle Stan, you know how I feel-,” Stan waved him off, shushing his words.

“I know, I know. Which is why we managed to get someone we _know_ would be the only person you worked with,” The man said before reaching past Dipper and opening the door, unbuckling his nephew’s seatbelt as he brought his hand back to the steering wheel, “Now get going! They’re waiting for you!” Stan said, urging the boy out.

“W-wait-!” Dipper yelped as he stumbled out of the car, turning to give a small glare at his Grunkle who merely grinned proudly.

“Look at you,” The old man smiled, “I never thought I could feel this much pride!” Dipper blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Go get’em tiger!” Dipper’s eyes widened and he quickly lunged to hold the door so his Grunkle wouldn’t speed off.

“Wait! Who’s my partner?” Dipper asked, reaching to hold the door open. Stan only grinned cheekily and Dipper had no choice but to close the door.

“The only person you’d allow!” was all Stan said before he drove off the moment the door closed. Dipper watched him leave with a grimace, great, he _really_ hoped the force hadn’t paired him up with someone boring or stupid. Otherwise, getting up in the morning would’ve been a complete waste of time. He dusted off his dark blue suit jacket, adjusting his striped tie and smoothing down his fluffy, wild hair as best as he could.

The moment he entered the area, it was like a wall of fear and worry had been built. People chatted and argued about what happened, some were helping officers find the salvageable items and others were assisting in the cleanup of charred broken wood and fallen bricks. He could see the news reporter, a petite brunette who was talking adamantly about a blue fire.

Dipper paused, getting a feel of the house in front of him. It was a creepy sight to see. The once beautiful, red brick home, was now blackened and eerie. He could see burn marks and a few broken windows, a vague thought that the victims might’ve tried to jump out was lingering but it was quickly gone the moment he turned to the ambulances. Two black body bags lay filled on a gurney. Paramedics were rushing about and two of them were talking amongst each other. Dipper walked over there, pulling out his I.D and holding it up. He cleared his throat, immediately the two paramedics looked at him and then his badge.

“Dipper Pines, FBI,” he began, his voice sounding sure, “I’m here for the killings and missing persons case.” The paramedics stared wide-eyed for a moment before jumping to attention.

“Oh! Sorry!” The girl said, her blue eyes glancing at the badge before moving to the bodies, “I’m guess you want’ta see’em before they perform’n autopsy, aye?” She asked, a clear Scottish accent in her voice. Dipper nodded.

“If I may,” He said. She nodded, beginning to unzip the first one.

“This is the man,” She began, pulling the two sides of the bag apart to revealing a hideously charred body. If this was a man, it was hardly recognizable. He was burned badly like an over cooked chicken. The smell was worse and had Dipper gagging at the _stench_ of cooked human flesh. “He looks bad, aye?” She said before shuddering, “but its nuttin’ _like’er_.”

The other paramedic seemed to blanch a bit as he went to unzip the bag. Dipper prepared himself for the worst, if the man looks like _this_ , he was fearful of what the woman might’ve looked like. The paramedic motioned for him to come and he did so, peering down into the bag before gasping. The woman was… _normal_.

“How is that-”

“ _DIPPER_!” A loud voice called out. Scared out of his mind, Dipper immediately swerved around and looked for the voice that shouted his name. He paused as he saw a woman running towards him. He looked closer, same brown hair, same chestnut eyes, he paused. _Wait…_

“Mabel?!” He shouted back and the girl squealed, opening her arms wide.

“Hey there, bro-bro! I’m your partner!” She cheered bringing him into a tight hug as soon as they were close enough. Bodies forgotten, Dipper hugged his twin tightly, grinning with joy as he set her down.

“I can’t believe it! How’d they get you released from Orlando? I thought you were top chief over there?” He said. She chuckled, tightening her ponytail before placing her hands on her hips and smiling proudly.

“I am! But Grunkle Ford and Stan pulled a few strings and _voila_! I get to help you solve the Blue Fire Case!” She cheered, “The Mystery Twins are reunited once again!” She grinned, punching his shoulder playfully/ Dipper laughed, hugging her again.

“Well I’m glad! For a moment, I thought I was gonna get some stupid pothead,” He said with relief. But it was short-lived the moment the news crew arrived.

“I’m Shandra Jiménez, live here with Detective Pines, an uprising Detective who graduated top of his classes and was promoted head Detective of California, along with the top chief of Orlando, Mabel Pines,” The lady said, taking both twins off guard as they stared nervously at the sudden paparazzi, “Mr. Pines,” The woman said, pulling the young detective to the front so that the camera was on him, “What do you have to say about this?”

Dipper swallowed, looking at the people gathered around, he felt a hand squeeze his and turned to see his sister, she was giving a reassuring smile, urging him to go on. He nodded subtly, letting out a small shaky breath as he faced the camera, “I have to say that this is definitely going to be a long case, but it _is_ solvable,” He said firmly, before he pulled his sister to the front with him, “My partner and I will do all that we can to make sure that Gravity Falls, Oregon is safe once more and that the Blue Fire Case is put to rest.” The words weren't long or anything special, but it seemed to put the people around him at ease, so he took it as a good sign.

Shandra nodded, turning away from the male who continued to stare awkwardly, but confidently, at the camera, “You heard it here folks,” She began, smiling, “Gravity Falls will soon be put at ease and the grisly deaths put to an end. I’m Shandra Jimenez, and this has been a Gravity Falls update.”

From the other side of the screen, Bill’s eyes had yet to leave the screen as he stared at the male who was seen investigating two bodies alongside with a woman dressed in a navy blue police uniform who looked like him, but still had a different charm about that certainly made her contrast with the man.

_Interesting_ , he thought, smiling to himself before he moved to take his place beside the cash register, _Very interesting_ …


	2. Missing People and Donuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper and Mabel find some new interesting twists in their case.

Dipper Pines sat in a chair behind a large oak desk. His eyes stayed trained on several files and pictures scattered along his desk. When the man had entered the room, he was taken aback by the richness of it. His new office was nothing like the one back in California. For one thing it was big and not-so simple. The walls were a rich ivory compared to the plain cold white color back in his original. He had multiple shelves and filing cabinets leaning against the far side of a wall away from the door. A small window was beside his desk with white blinds that were partially opened covering it. The afternoon sun filtered in through, leaving a small reflection against the few pictures surfaces and the small desk clock seated before the clutter. He tapped his fingers against the smooth wood, puffing out his cheeks and letting out a soft sigh, resting the side of his face against the palm of his hand as he set his elbow down on the desk. What was he not seeing? What wasn’t he-

The door suddenly banged open, making him yelp and snap out of his thoughts as his sister strolled in proudly, and grabbing the spare leather roller chair. She sat on top of it and rolled herself over to the desk with one push. She slid the small golden desk name plate that read _Det. Dipper M. Pines_ along it in fine print to the side. She grinned, placing a thin wide box he hadn’t notice down with a soft _thud_.

“I brought donuts~!” She chortled loudly in a song-sung voice, grinning at her brother. Dipper felt a slight twinge of annoyance spark, but it was quickly diminished by the bright smile his sister was giving him. He sighed, leaning back in his chair and dropping his arm, resting it along the table. He ran a hand over his face before cracking a smile.

“Thanks, Mabel,” He said, “but, couldn’t you have knocked first?” He asked. She snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Nope!” She laughed, “Besides, what for? It’s not like you were _flogging your log_ or anything,” She winked, causing Dipper to flush red and bristle at her words.

“ _Mabel_!” He squeaked, thankful that the door was closed, “Seriously, watch the words, I don’t want everyone knowing my dirty secret,” He joked back, making her burst out laughing loudly and lean back in her seat.

“ _Dipper_ , you sly dog!” She snorted, reaching over to slap his shoulder lightly. He shrugged, an easy-going mood filling the room.

“What can I say, a man’s got needs,” He grinned. Mabel rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she tried to calm her breathing.

“You’re terrible,” She sighed.

“You started it.”

“Whatever,” She snickered, scooting forwards a bit more before grabbing one of the photos and wincing. It was the picture of a male, sprawled out along a blackened carpet. He was alright for the most part, but his right eye was completely gone. Nothing but an empty socket surrounded by blood that covered half his face and matted his hair was left. He seemed to have a fairly medium sized black triangle burnt into his skin along his chest, the middle part of the shape was left blank with a small patch of tan skin exposed that had small thin slit running diagonally, as though it was an eye.

“So, what do we got?” She asked, slowly putting the picture down and picking up another one that was next to it. It was a dark crude picture, like someone had taken it at night. But she could see a bright, hauntingly blue fire that was consuming what appeared to be a house. Dipper sighed.

“Well, we got over fifty killed civilians, and thirty-nine burnt down houses,” He said. Mabel raised her eyebrows.

“ _Fifty_ killed?” She repeated with shock, “How come there are less burnt down houses than victims?” She frowned. Dipper leaned forward and grabbed a manila folder just beside the donut box and opened it, turning it to face his sister and sliding it towards her.

“Not all of the victims were at their homes and half of them had families,” He replied. Mabel paused, looking over the folders contents. It was of the killed persons. As she flickered through them, she could see a red circle around a small box towards the end of the page that was checked marked _family_ or _no family_.

“So the families were killed alongside the victims,” It wasn’t a question so much as a statement, but Dipper nodded nonetheless.

“That’s not the weird part,” He frowned.

“What’s the weird part?”

“The families or spouses were burned, as though given an easy, but still painful, death. But the main victims, the one the killer was after I’m guessing, were left brutally maimed with their right eyes missing, or sometimes the left, and the image of a triangle burnt into their chests. Or depending if it was a woman, their back.”

“A guy with decency,” Mabel joked, though Dipper merely rolled his eye, clearly not amused by the joke.

“Decency or not, the reason as to why he killed them is still a mystery. None of these people have connections with anyone who held a grudge and they certainly didn’t have any criminal records,” He muttered, “They’re innocents as far as past research has shown, but it seems like there’s a missing puzzle piece that doesn’t want to be found,” He grumbled, “But no, the weird part is the missing people.”

“How so?”

“Well, for starters, the missing people all turned out to be _kids_.”

“Children?” Mabel repeated, her eyes widened and she felt her stomach twist, “Why children?”

Dipper shrugged, shaking his head with a stumped answer, “I have no idea…but whoever this killer is, he apparently goes after families. That’s probably why he kills both the parents.”

“Yes, but still, how would he be able to snatch them? Wouldn’t the kids get burned to?”

“Maybe…unless, maybe not? Perhaps he gets them before he starts the fire?”

“So about the blue fires? Why would someone leave behind something like that? Does he want to be found?”

“No…I think they’re sort of a, ‘hey look, I did this’ sign. Though as to _how_ the killer could even create such a thing is beyond me.”

“Could he have an accomplice by chance?” She asked, placing the folder down. He nodded, pushing a picture she hadn’t seen to her.

“He does-or rather _did_ ,” He concluded, “Greg Valentino, the former funeral home director, assisted him with the aid of handling the dead bodies so that forensics couldn’t identify. He told this to the police once they said they’d pardon him for helping if he led them to the killer. He never told them who it was per say, but he gave clues and hints-which have all been claimed as tainted or useless. Later though, apparently Greg claimed that the killer had asked him for his help once more. But Greg had refused to help him out due to his son witnessing their accounts and he threatened to report the killer if he didn’t leave or if he ever returned," He sighed, fingers running through his hair as he sank into his seat once more, “The place was passed down to his son, Robbie, soon after the nasty fallout that led him to be, uh, for a lack of a better word, _insane_.”

“Insane?” Mabel repeated, “Yeesh, this killer meant business, aye?” She sighed, “Did Robbie give the name? I mean, if he saw them conversing, then surely he caught on to the name.”

Dipper shook his head, “The police had gone to Robbie after his dad was taken to a psychiatric ward and oddly enough, Robbie couldn’t remember a damn thing,” Dipper frowned, “It was as if his memory had been wiped. There was nothing he said that could help the case and so the police were brought back to a dead end. The only one who knows the truth is Greg, but the man is so far gone that getting anything out of him would be futile,” He stood up and stretched slightly, “He’s back at the funeral home, which coincidentally is their home. But again, talking with him could be useless.”

“If we got no leads, how the hell do we even start?” Mabel scowled, clearly not happy with the end results. Dipper shrugged and let out a small puff of air.

“I have no clue,” He sighed, “I wouldn’t even know where to start, but I don’t want to disappoint Stan or Ford, or even the people. God knows they need all the help they can get. With all these deaths and missing children, it’s no wonder half of the town is crazy,” He chuckled dryly. Mabel shook her head solemnly, opening the box of donuts and pulling one out. It was covered with chocolate icing and glazed with white icing that made a zig-zag motion.

“Well, my guess, is we start from the beginning. Find out the name of the first victim and talk to any family remaining left,” She said.

Dipper nodded, “Good luck with that. The first victim is long gone, died in the late 1700s and probably any other family ties is gone with them.” Mabel bit into her donut and slumped, a small frown gracing her features. Dipper’s back was to her and he was facing the window. He was stumped that’s for sure, he thought looking out and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He could feel the slight scruff growing there since his lack of shaving, man he really needed to do that soon.

“So then what should we do? With no possible leads, how can we start connecting?”

“That may not be true…” Dipper said, an idea coming to him, “That fire that happened today, I wanna go down to the site and pick up some samples of the remaining ashes. I wanna figure out just what kind of guy or girl were dealing with,” He murmured. Mabel quirked an eyebrow.

“How can you get details from the ashes of a fire?” She asked, clearly not understanding him. Dipper turned and smiled at her.

“That’s for me to know and you to later find out,” He grinned, before reaching out to select a plain glazed donut. He bit down into, humming in satisfaction at the sweet flavor it held, “These are really good. Where’d you get them?” He asked, looking down at the white box to search for the name. Mabel smiled.

“At a cute little café shop-slash night bar, the owner was such a hottie, I swear the smoke alarms were going to ring,” She teased. Dipper snickered.

“That good looking huh?” he mused, “Think I have a chance?” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Mabel snorted and covered her mouth to keep the food in it from spilling out. She swallowed before answering, the bemused smile on her face never falling.

“Yeah, I think you got a chance,” She winked, leaning back in her chair, “Though he’s a bit of a weird one. In fact, he wouldn’t stop staring at me as I was ordering,” She frowned.

“Staring? Like, the ‘I like you date me’ stare or the creepy ‘I’ll kill you in your sleep stare’?” He asked. She nodded her head.

“To be honest, it was neither. His expression was so… _blank_ ,” She explained, “He had one of his eyes bandaged and the other exposed, but Jesus, Dip, you would’ve thought he was staring into my soul or…or something,” She shivered. Dipper finished his donut and shrugged, "He was even weirder when I asked for these cool looking cookies," She said, frowning at the memory of the strange man at the café shop, "For some strange reason, he wouldn't let me order one!"

“So, he's sensitive about a batch of cookies...Think we should put him as a suspect?” he asked, grabbing one of the napkins near the box. The way his sister had talked about the man made him feel a somewhat twinge of dread. But his sister easily waved it off with a laugh and a smile.

“Nah, he’s harmless enough. He may have a creepy stare and a weird way of denying a customer cookies, but man he's pretty cool, and _hilarious_!” She chuckled. Dipper smiled.

“A guy with humor, remind me to go see him sometime,” Dipper joked. Mabel suddenly stopped, her eyes staring at him before she cracked into a broad toothy grin, her eyes illuminating with a sort of awe-struck realization and Dipper suddenly knew he had made a mistake.

“Oh my _god, yes_!” She squealed, standing up, “You _two_ would totally looked good with each other! And I think he plays for the same team too!” She said. Dipper groaned, head falling onto the table in an effort to hide his now red face.

“ _Geez_ , Mabel, how would you even know _that_?” he asked, looking at her with bewilderment. Honestly, his sister could downright be creepy when she wanted to be. The girl simply smiled impishly and waved her hand at him.

“Oh that’s not important,” She chirped, “Tis’ nothing but minor details bro-bro,” Mabel grinned. Dipper stared at her for a moment before he scoffed and shook his head.

“You scare me sometimes, you know that?”

“That’s what everyone tells me!”

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

True to his word, Dipper and his sister went back to the sight of destruction. Police tape and caution signs were put up to warn people and keep them out. A few bystanders lingered along with some other police figures, but the ruckus from earlier had died down. Entering the premises, Dipper cast one final glance to the charred home before speaking.

“I’m gonna go see if I can find any remaining ashes, you go ahead and look in the house,” He said. There was a noise of approval from his sister before she made her way toward the front door of the home. Dipper stayed outside of the home, he walked up the porch steps and looked around. Up close, he could smell the horrible stench of burnt furniture, along with something foul smelling. He frowned and inhaled deeply, but he couldn’t grasp a name for the peculiar and awful scent.

There was a bench swing to the left of him that was creaking slightly from the soft force of the wind pushing it. Dipper walked over to it, smiling when he found some of the ashes from the home on what used to be a yellow cushion. He reached into his suit’s pocket and pulled out a small Ziploc bag and opened it. Taking one of his business cards he carried around, he gently scraped the black dust into the bag until he had a decent amount that was no bigger than the size of a small pebble.

“Dipper!” He heard his sister call. Jumping up and closing the bag, he spun around to see Mabel standing in the doorway, her face an ashen color and eyes wide, “You have to see this.”

Walking inside the home was no better than being outside and looking at it. The hallway looked as if it came straight out of a horror movie. It was dim, the furniture around scathed with black marks from the fire. The walls and floors around were splattered with a rustic red color that might’ve been blood. Photos in frames were cracked horribly and upon closer inspection, one of the people in them, a woman, had both her eyes crossed out with a horribly scribbled X over them. Dipper jumped as his foot stepped down on something that made a small _chk_ noise. Lifting his foot, he saw that it was broken glass. Bending down, he picked up the object and saw that it was another photograph, this time, it was just one person in it. Her eyes marked out by that same red X.

He took in her features, her skin was of a soft golden tan, like one you may find on a person working in fields. Her brown and blonde streaked hair trickled down her round face to the tips of her shoulders. She had a dimple smile, one that showed elated joy and comfort. The picture was obviously one full of happiness, but the way the X marred over her eyes somehow made it eerie.

“This, this is the girl I saw in the bag,” Dipper said, holding the photo for Mabel to see. His sister had stopped walking, turning to look at the picture.

“She must’ve been the victim,” Mabel said in a small voice, “Sandra, Sandra Willows.”

“How do you know that?” Dipper asked, taking the photo back to look at it later. Mabel said nothing, but continued to motion for him to follow. They both turned a corner to enter the living room. And that was when Dipper’s heart stopped momentarily.

All the furniture in the room was gone, as though someone had stolen it all. And in the center, there was a large blue circle drawn into the wooden floor. Symbols long since blurred or destroyed were placed around it along with several blue candles scattered about.

“What the hell is this?” Dipper walked forward, automatically feeling a cold chill run down his spine. Something…wasn’t right here. A feeling of dread coiled in his gut and noted that he was trembling slightly.

“Could the victims have all been in some weird cult?” Mabel asked, her voice holding the barest of shakiness. Dipper swallowed and knelt down beside the circle. He swept his index finger and middle finger across the blue chalk and lifted his hand, rubbing his thumb against his two fingers.

“Whatever it was, it certainly backfired,” He replied back, glancing up at the foyer he could see numbers written along it.

_3-12-15-12-7-15 20-6-18-23-22-9 12-21 2-12-6-9 8-12-6-15. 25-9-18-13-20 21-12-9-7-19 26-13-22-4._

“Mabel, write that down,” he said, standing up. Immediately he could hear his sister doing what she was told. He took out his phone and began taking pictures of the sight. This was making his mind gears work. Could this be their start? Could some form of what appeared to be a ritual be the clue to finding the answers they need? Just as they were both about to finish up, there were voices echoing about.

“M-mom? Dad?”

Both officers turned around and were frozen in their spot. Behind them they could see two figures, a small boy around the age of four or five was holding onto the hand of an older girl that looked to be fifteen years old.

“Oh! Hi there!” Mabel said, breaking the tensed silence, “I’m Officer Mabel and this is Detective Dipper, do you guys live here?”

Dipper almost slapped his forehead, but instead dropped his head and groaned, “Nice one Mabes,” he said sarcastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woweewow!!! Thank you guys for all the comments and support!!
> 
> I really appreciate this positive feedback and I hope that it will continue on! I love hearing all the ideas you guys have and what ya think of this!! Also, don't let the introduction of these new kids drive ya away, it'll all be worth it, I promise you!! And we'll be going back to Bill shortly, first few chapters will be easing us into the story and give you a better look. The billdip fluff will be slow, but totally worth it!!
> 
> If you have any helpful tips or critiques that'll be awesome! I'm trying to increase my writing skills, so please point out any grammar errors or mistakes! (If ya want to of course!!)
> 
> Thank you all!!
> 
> P.s- Updates will be two times a week, Mondays and Thursdays (Unless otherwise noticed!) See ya then guys! 
> 
> And hey, if you're curious about updates or random art doodles that I'll be posting soon, come bug me on tumblr: @paidenzilla


	3. Awkward Tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just like the title says

Explaining the situation to two kids who had just lost their parents was _really_ hard. Scratch that, it was very, _very hard_. They were currently seated in what _used_ to be the kitchen. The sturdy glass rectangular shaped table and iron-barred chairs had managed to survive unscathed and they were all seated there.

Dipper and Mabel were sitting directly across from the two children, Samuel, or as he preferred Samantha and Hubert Willows. Samantha most definitely took after her mother, from her golden dripped skin to her brown and blonde locks that went over her shoulders in a neatly done fish tail braid. Hubert had a mass of unruly dark chocolate brown hair, his skin matched Samantha’s but seemed to be of a lighter tone than hers. The only marked difference that made Hubert differ from her, was that instead of both his eyes being a strikingly icy blue like Samantha’s, he had heterochromia iridium eyes. His left was a soft hazel brown color that looked like melted gold in the lighting, while his right eye was the same piercing blue as his sister’s.

Samantha had gone quiet, a solemn look on her face as she let the information of her parents’ death sink in. Hubert, being too young to fully understand the gravity of the situation was standing in his seat and bouncing, saying a few clear words but the rest were purely gibberish. He was holding a stuffed orange dinosaur in his right hand, making small roaring noises. Mabel watched with pure amusement while Dipper cleared his throat a little.

“So, Samantha,” Dipper said, eyeing the young girl, “If you don’t mind me asking, where were you and brother last night?” The teen swallowed, slowing looking up.

“We had gone to stay with our aunt for the week. Our parents had gotten into a fight over divorce papers and sent us away for the time being,” She answered monotonously.

“Did you know about any of this… _abnormal_ stuff your mom was into?” She shook her head, letting out a small puff of air before wiping at her eyes. Another silence followed and Mabel reached into her pocket to pull out a pack of tissues. She handed one to the girl and offered a sympathetic smile. Samantha offered one of her own as thanks, but it was timid and strained and it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Are you both assigned to this case?” She asked, reaching over to pull Hubert into her lap. The boy made a small incoherent babble and smiled happily as he sat in his sister’s lap.

“Yes,” Mabel said, “And no. This case is conjoined to the Blue Fire case. Heard of it?”

At this, Samantha’s face went completely pale and she stilled. Dipper and Mabel both looked at each other, seeing her alarm. The girl tightened her grip on her brother and her shoulders shook a little.

“The blue fire case?” She squeaked.

“Yes,” Dipper said nodded, leaning forward, “Do you know something about it?” Samantha looked between them, eyes wide and fearful. She shook her head vehemently, standing up quickly and adjusting Hubert in her grip.

“Y-you two should go, please,” She said shakily. Dipper and Mabel both stood up instantly.

“Samantha, if you know anything, _anything_ at all, please tell us,” Mabel urged, going over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. But the girl backed away, taking Hubert with her and she scowled angrily at them.

“Go!” She shouted, “Please, just _go_ , I-I have to try and explain this Hubert…we don’t need anymore grief!”

Startled by the outburst, the twins backed away, Dipper gently taking his sister’s arm and guiding her out.

“Sorry.” Dipper began, “We understand this is a difficult time for you. We’ll…we’ll talk later, alright?” The girl said nothing, instead she continued to hold her brother close, whispering hushed words to him as they both left. Leaving the house, Dipper exhaled slowly, the tension in the air was no longer around and he felt like he could breath. Mabel paused to stare back at the ruined home.

“Poor kids,” She said, “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

“I hope so…mark them down in our book though, if this ends like how most of the cases do, then I have a feeling we’re going to be needing to keep an eye on them.”

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

Bill absentmindedly wiped down the counter he was standing behind. Though his actions made it seem like he was busy, his mind was on something else entirely. He had gotten a customer earlier, and not just any customer, it was the police woman from the news. The supposed partner to that high class detective. He paused, remembering how bright her aura seemed to shine. She was like a shooting star. Huh…a shooting star.

“You okay there Bill?” A voice interrupted. He started, eye widened as he let go of the rag and looked up. Pyronica was watching him as she filled up the sweet rack, placing various donuts, cupcakes, and cookies.

“Me? Yeah, I’m fine,” The male replied, stepping away from the counter and tucking the rag on some random handle, “Just…stuck on that officer from earlier,” He added. Pyronica quirked an eyebrow and smiled slyly.

“Romance wise?” She asked. Bill scoffed, rolling his eye.

“No, no…she’s just, _interesting_ to say the least,” He said. It was all he could say. With customers around he didn’t really feel like exposing anything more than that to them. He had felt rather irritated throughout the day. His little killing spree had not ended in a satisfactory mission as he had hoped. He sighed once Pyronica had gone to take the now empty tray back. He looked around, the place wasn’t too packed, but it wasn’t empty either. He always seemed to have customers at all hours, after all, there wasn’t a bakery within miles that could make sweets as good as he does. Not one customer was left unsatisfied.

Until now of course.

Due to his little mess up, he had lost what he had gone trying to seek the night before. But how was he supposed to know the little brats wouldn’t be there? He should’ve felt glad they weren’t there, knowing what would happen to them if he caught them, but he had grown up with a family that never once let him feel sorry about what he did. So he grew up without a sense of guilt, only knowing that what he did was enjoyable enough for him. So what did it matter? Although…his father never would’ve approved of his little slip up. A small growl slipped past his lips. His father. He wasn’t doing any of this for that piece of _shit_. He had killed him all those years ago and was proud of it.

Shaking his head, he drove himself away from the thoughts of his father. He instead focused on what that officer from earlier was talking about. She was a weird one to say the least. Not weird like him, but he automatically took a liking to her.

He had been serving a coffee to some old man reminiscing in a past memory when she walked in, her brown eyes drinking the sight of the place. She was impressed and he knew, he could see it from the way her smile grew and her eyes lighting up. She was in a blue police uniform, a golden badge pinned to the right side of her chest. Officer Chief of Orlando Mabel Pines. He couldn’t help but give a catlike grin, his eye twinkling with delight.

“Morning Officer!” He chirped, approaching her with his best smile. The lady turned around, brown hair flying about her face. Her eyes locked onto his and she broke into another smile.

“Hi there!” She replied back, her voice friendly and boisterous, “Sorry for my staring, whoever owns this place has excellent taste!” She complimented. Bill grinned, yes, he certainly liked her already.

“Why thank you, I’m glad my taste is appealing,” he said, watching the way her eyes widened in realization, “Though, I was afraid the gold might’ve been too much.”

“Psh-what?” Mabel said, bouncing over to him, “The gold makes everything _amazing_! It’s like a fancy authentic castle room,” She chuckled. Bill laughed along with her.

“Phew, that’s a relief,” he said, “Now, I take it you’re a newcomer?” He asked, eyeing her up down with the same friendly smile. She blushed.

“Yeah, I just got called in from Orlando. My brother and I are on a case here,” She said, looking at the treats she was led to, “It’s the infamous _blue fire case_ ,” She said, her voice going low and her fingers wiggling in a creepy manner than had Bill snorting.

“Oh, that case, huh?” He said, staring at her. He was drinking in the sight of her, watching her and dissecting her. He wanted to pull back her covers and find out what made her tick, “Well, I hope you don’t get your hopes to high. Most of the cops here haven’t been able to crack that case in a _very_ long time,” he said, if he wasn’t so good at keeping a poker face and masking his voice, she would’ve thought he was gloating, but by the way her smile held and her happy demeanor didn’t falter, he figured she hadn’t take notice.

“Yeah, well my brother and I are pretty good at what we do,” She said, eying the zebra stripped donuts, “We graduated top class in law and are head chiefs in our different departments. We may not look like it, but together, we can pretty much solve and beat anything!”

Bill had bent down to grab a small box, fully knowing with the way she was eyeing the sweets that she wasn’t leaving without any. He hummed, these new officers may be getting a lot more than they bargained for.

“You mention your brother a lot, is he older?” He asked. She scoffed, laughing a bit and shaking her head.

“Oh god no,” She teased, “He _wishes_ he was. But no, I’m the oldest in our little twin thing,” She mused. Bill quirked an eyebrow.

“Twins, aye?” he said, smiling. Mabel nodded.

“Yup! I am the Alpha twin here! He may be superiority in the brain area, but when it comes to muscle and age, he ain’t got nothing,” She grinned before pausing and leaning in a little, “But he is quite a shooter. Never misses a single shot.”

“Remind not to get into his line of fire,” Bill snorted.

“Don’t worry, he only shoots the bad guys,” She smiled, and Bill had to suppress a snort. Mabel began bending down a bit as she spotted more of the delicious treats, “Oh my! Can I have some of these bad boys to go?” She laughed. Bill smiled and glanced down at where she was looking. His eyes widened and he immediately forced a laugh.

“Th-those?” He said, his insides twisting with a sudden nervousness, “Trust me, you don’t want _those_ cookies,” He said, eyeing the red and white marble cookies, “They’re a day old! And we simply don’t sell day old stuff,” He said.

“Oh I don’t mind-,” Mabel began only to be cut off as the tray of cookies suddenly clattered and fell to the ground behind the counter. She jumped back, eyes wide as she looked at Bill with a startled befuddlement, “D-did that tray just-”

“Oh! I am so sorry about these, here, I’ll give ya something extra for free as an apology,” He said as he snapped his fingers. Almost instantaneously, a short, darkly tanned man came running out of the kitchen area with a dustpan and broom in tow. His eyes were two cold grey beady black spots placed on a round, pudgy face. His lips were thick and dark. He looked at Mabel with a look she couldn't decipher and it sent shivers down her spine terribly.

“Paci-Fire, could you be a doll and clean up that mess there?” Bill asked pleasantly. The being called Paci-Fire let out a small grunt as he bent down and started picking the cookies. While he did that, Bill smiled back at Mabel, “Alright, Miss Officer,” he teased, smiling at her, “anything else you’d want?” Mabel faltered in her words and she met his gaze before shaking her head and clearing her throat.

“S-sorry, got a little mixed up in my head for a moment,” She said, straightening up a bit. She did her best not to pay attention to the short, homely, looking man picking up the tainted cookies and focused instead on the other various treats.

She left leaving with zebra striped donuts, glitter and sprinkle covered cupcakes, a few assorted cookies, and plain finely glazed donuts. Bill had watched her go on her way, highly amused by the officer. He’d have to make sure they don’t get any smart ideas. After all, he still had yet to meet her brother.

And he’d hate to have to get rid of them both before he even got to know them better.

But then again, maybe not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment or critique (If ya want!!)


	4. We Want Our Bundling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper discovers something weird while looking over a photograph.

Time seemed to have never been on Dipper’s side. It was always slipping away from him before he even had the chance to grasp it. After that encounter with those kids, his concern had grown a tenfold. He needed to get this case under wraps before they end up losing their only leads. But, with all that happened, his thoughts kept turning back to those strange numbers written on the walls. He knew it was a code, it had to be a code. Dipper had seen them all his life and he knew what one looked like. But what would a code be needed for if they were doing a ritual? Though that had to be a rhetorical question. Codes were used to keep something secret from eyes that may have been prying. Perhaps this could be another clue for them? Pulling out the paper that Mabel had written the code on, he glanced it over, eyes boring into it as though trying to see past it. He put it down, moving over to his black leather messenger bag. He pulled multiple thick brown books out and carried them over to the desk, placing them down on the table with the note paper on top. He’d have to go over that in a moment, for now, he needed to check on something else.

Dipper pulled up a large stack of folders containing the limited hints he needed on filling in the blanks for the case. It was just him at the moment, Mabel had long gone with Stan, saying she was going to do a quick drive by the children’s home to make sure they were alright. He had been hesitant with that, saying that perhaps it’d be best to leave them be for a while. He didn’t want to burden them anymore than he needed.

But then again, they could be the breakthrough they needed. He looked at the other stacks of files on his desk and with a sudden lurch forward, he began scattering through them, opening the family ones and the missing people. He flicked through each, pulling out the odd cases to him. The first was a young boy with two different colored eyes.

_Matthew Burnems, age 4, missing._

_H/c-Blonde_

_E/c-Brown & Blue_

_S/c-White_

He flipped to the page stapled on the back, it was him again but this time with a full picture of his family, though part of it seemed to be smeared or taken when the photographer was moving. On the bottom, black ink spelled out the words: _Burnem Family, June 1995._

He frowned, the boy seemed different from the before picture. He didn’t know what it was due to part of the picture before almost blurred off. He could easily tell the color of his right eye which was blue, but the rest ran off and he grimaced. He turned back to the first page and read the small bias.

“Matthew Burnem,” he mumbled to himself, “Age four, went missing on June fourth, nineteen ninety-four.” He furrowed his brows, setting he file down before pausing. Wait, what had he-faster than lightning he grabbed the file back and looked at the date to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake. _June, 4, 199 **4**_. 1994. That…Dipper flipped the page back to the picture and knit his eyebrows together in utter confusion. That picture was taken a year later in ninety-five.

_How was that even possible?_

His mind swam and the picture seemed to become darker. He took the paper off the staples and aligned the two pictures together, looking it over and trying to spot the differences. He found a magnifying glance and held it up to the family picture, trying to see if he could spot something everyone had missed. He couldn’t see it, the left side of the picture was just too blurry to be seen. However, just as he about to give up, he noticed a small detail he missed.

It wasn’t anything fancy, subtle, nor out of place. In fact, if you’d just been looking at it normally, it would’ve just appeared to be part of the blur or perhaps an abstracted silhouette of a family member. In the back, mixed heavily with the blurs of the shaded trees in the background, was a darkened, misshapen figure. It seemed to be tall, _too tall_ , with what looked to be thin black horns raising high towards the sky like clawed hands on top of its oddly shaped head. Its torso was broad and lean, but his arms were lanky and seemed almost too long. There were no eyes as for as he could tell. It was nothing but a swirling mass of black inkiness that sent shivers down his spine.

A dark tension had filled the room, making the hairs on the back of Dipper’s neck rise up. He could’ve sworn he heard a dark growl not far from him and he was nearly terrified to look up and see. Taking a deep breath, a hand resting just above the holster, he prepared himself mentally to turn around. Gritting his teeth and forcing a brave front, he pulled the gun out as he spun around and aimed it. There was…nothing. He released the breath he had been holding and slowly, almost as though he was expecting that creature to pop out somewhere, put his gun away. The air was thick and the room was silent, every small creak the building made had him on edge and every dark shadow he saw move nearly made him jump. He calmed his breathing and hoped to do the same with his heart. Was he going crazy?

Hand tangling into his hair, he ran his free one down his face and heaved a long sigh, “What the hell is wrong me?” He groaned.

_BUZZ! BUZZ!_

He was startled and scared witless as his phone started buzzing. Quickly pulling it out with a trembling hand, he answered it. “Hello?” He spoke, keeping his voice even. He eyed the dates on the two separate pictures and grabbed the nearest marker and circled it, the red ink glaring at him when he finished. For a moment there was only breathing and the slight crackle of someone moving on the other line; it made Dipper’s heart stop short again and he had to remind himself to stay calm.

“Hello?” He repeated, straining his ears to listen more closely. Then the line cut dead, the dial tone rapidly beeping to show that whoever it was, was no longer there. He frowned, turning off his phone before jumping again when it rang once more. This time, he answered it immediately, his voice loud in the deafening silence.

“Dipper! It’s me, your sister. Mabel!” Came the cheerful voice, “I’m here at the Willow’s house, I’ll be staying over with the kids- can’t leave them alone by themselves right? Well anyways, Stan and I are going to be their personal guards for the night until their aunt comes for them.”

Dipper smiled with welcoming relief at the jubilant sound of Mabel’s voice and he slowly relaxed, getting the tenseness out of his sore muscles.

“You’re staying with the kids? Wait, Mabel, are you sure that’ll be okay? I mean…these kids just lost their parents. Should we even be-“

“It’ll be fine! Samantha totally agreed. She seems scared of something Dip, and if it keeps her safe to know that the police are here, then so be it. Besides, she has no idea how to cook and they don’t have money to order anything. It all burned up in the flames.”

Dipper chewed on his bottom lip, he wasn’t sure this coincided with their rules, but then he glanced at the files of missing kids. What harm could it really do? Besides, he’d rather not have the case go cold again if he could help it and he had a hunch that those kids may just be what they need.

“Alright,” he sighed, turning away from the desk to look out the window. It was late, very late; no wonder why he was so jumpy, “Just be careful…and _please_ , try not to pry, Mabel,” he said, knowing the lengths his sister would go to find information. He just hoped she’d have the decency not to irritate these kids.”

“Relax, broski!” Mabel chortled, “I’ve got this! Oop! Gotta go, Stan’s teaching Hubert how to gamble. Grunkle Stan please don’t-!”

The line cut off and Dipper knew she had hung up. He sighed, placing the phone back in his pocket. He looked at the files that had suddenly started to not make any sense. He rubbed his temples and exhaled slowly. He needed a drink. Very much.

Not bothering to clean the scattered mess, he left his office. It was almost empty, just a few people remained. Mainly the rest of the cops here in Gravity Falls who were watching whatever prisoners they had or doing file work. It was quiet with only the radio buzzing around.

Not bothering to break the silence, he left and headed to his car to find that strange little shop Mabel had gone to earlier. He remembered her saying it was also a night bar and he was curious as to who the owner was. With that in mind, he hopped into his car and started the ignition. Buckling his seatbelt, he put the car in reverse and backed out before switching gears and driving forwards.

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

He watched as the red car drove forward, two figures were in there he could tell. A male with greying hair and a female with brown curls. A worried frown found his face as he watched the car park in front of the burnt red-bricked house. He watched with fearful blue eyes as the two authority figures stepped out and went up to the home. He became weary, a small noise left past his lips and his dry, tan hands squeezed tightly on the steering wheel, making his knuckles turn white.

This was not good. This was _really_ not good.

It was already growing late and he should’ve been heading back now already. With the kids. But he had waited too long, had hesitated for a while and now he was empty-handed and had to be going back. What would he say? What would _he_ do?

Pulling the grey, rickety old car into reverse, he began to drive away as unsuspiciously as he could. The two police figure hadn’t noticed yet, so maybe he was getting better at this. If only he would stop letting his anxiety get the better of him, then maybe he could actually do a job right for once. He took one last glance at the burnt house and sighed, he _really_ hoped the boss was in a good mood tonight, otherwise he may have just dug his grave.

**⌿** **⍋** **⍀**

Bill smiled at the flourishing customers hanging at the bar in his shop, it was already dark outside and it was time for the night owls to come and party. He watched from the behind the bar, his workers going about and preparing different mixed drinks and beers. He noticed a particularly odd couple in the background, their skin a muted yellow pastel color in the lighting. A man and a woman stood side by side, gazing through the dancing crowd and lingering wallflowers, it was clear that they were together with each other, and Bill had no doubt that these were customers meant specifically for him. Lips twitching into a toothy grin, he stalked forward, gracefully maneuvering his way through the crowd and towards them.

“Well, well, well, looks whose back so soon!” He cackled, his voice a chillingly low tone. The couple started, eyes wide as they whipped around to face the man. The woman’s grass green eyes stared into Bill’s with a certain wariness that had Bill’s eye gleaming with excitement. The man stepped forward, putting his wife behind him in a protective manner.

“W-we’ve come for our bundling,” The man said, masking his nervousness, but his eyes gave it away. Bill hummed and nodded.

“So you have,” He said, circling around them like a predator. When he turned to face them, he produced to black menus, the golden words twinkling in the dim lighting of the now night bar, “But first, a-”

“ _BOSS!_ ”

Bill’s eye narrowed forward, a scowl working its way across his face. But as soon as it was there, it was gone and the menus in his hands dispersed into blue flames, making the couple step back in awe and fear. He excused himself politely before making his way over to where his worker was standing nervously. Bill’s eye had turned a dark shade of crimson red, and a faint glow could be seen through his bandage if you looked closely.

“Keyhole,” He snarled once he was close enough to the lanky teen. The said being called Keyhole shrank back as he was roughly grabbed by the arm. The teen had to bite his lip to hold back a whimper as a burning sensation took over the area where Bill was holding him, “What do _you think you are doing_?” The man hissed.

Keyhole sputtered, blue eyes widened to the size of teacups as he felt himself beginning to hyperventilate. _Oh man, I messed up big time! I’m gonna get it, this was the end!_ He thought fearfully as he stared at Bill. The older must’ve sensed how he was about to pass out and relented, letting him go and straightening his clothes.

“Well?” Bill grumbled. Keyhole blinked back to life in an instant after registering that Bill wanted an answer. He stumbled over his words, mouth opening and closing, but he had no way of telling him properly.

“T-the k-kids…c-cops are w-watching th-them!” He spluttered, eyes watering, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry boss!” He said, starting to grovel. Bill stared for a moment, then he growled and grabbed the kid by the collar of his shirt, wrinkling the dark turquoise fabric and tearing holes into it as his nails dug in like sharp claws.

“The cops are there?! Why didn’t you get them before?!”

“I-I…w-well, y-y’see, I-!”

“You hesitated didn’t you?” Bill asked, cutting him off. At the teen’s silence, Bill scoffed and let him go. He sighed deeply and shook his head, “Of course you did. Jesus Christ, I should’ve sent Teeth or Eight-ball!” He cursed, then he settled down and looked at him, “Go on back to work, you’ll have another chance at this, but if those kids aren’t here by the time I need them, then I’ll have you removed,” He said threateningly, “We can’t afford another mishap, that child is the only thing I need. If I don’t have that soul, you know what will happen, don’t you?” He asked, his eye gleaming with a dark look. Keyhole blanched, “Good. Now get _going_!”

“Y-yes, boss!” He squeaked, watching Bill as he turned around and walked back to the couple. They had taken a seat, glasses of water in their hands.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Bill said, looking at them both.

“Our bundling?” The woman asked hopefully. Bill sighed and shook his head.

“Afraid not, ma’am,” he said, “There was a problem with the delivery, but I assure you that you’ll get your bundling in due time,” He said with a smile. The man frowned and shook his head.

“We had a deal, Cipher,” He said, “We gather the supplies you needed, now give us our bundling!” The man’s pupils turned cat-like for a split second before calming. The woman reached out and took ahold of the man’s hand.

“Macris, it’s alright,” She said, “I’m sure if we give Mr. Cipher enough time he’ll provide us properly, right?” She looked up at Bill expectantly and he nodded.

“Certainly,” He said, “After all, we had a deal,” He grinned. The man scoffed and promptly stood up, pulling the woman with him.

“Fine, we’ll be back in three days,” he said, “Our mortal family is having an outing, and we expect to have a bundling when we get back. I swear, your father never would’ve allowed this,” With that, he stalked ahead, pulling the woman along as they shoved their way past the crowd, but not without bumping into a man first.

“Woof, hard time with customers, huh?” A voice piped up. Bill was rubbing his temples when he heard the unfamiliar voice and he sighed.

“You have no idea,” He grumbled, god he didn’t need any more problems. He was already late with providing those demons with that brat.

“Mind getting a drink with me?”

“A drink…?” Bill spun around and his golden eye locked onto the familiar brown ones he had seen on a certain girl earlier, and also on TV. He paused, doing a double take before bursting out into a fit of laughter, of course! Who else should he have expected?. The man watching him took a step back and he raised an eyebrow.

“Did…I miss something?” He asked. Bill was gripping his sides before managing to try and catch his breath. He grinned at the man before him and shook his head, small chuckles and snickers bubbling past his lips.

“Oh, no, no,” He said, “Forgive me, it’s been a rather _stressful_ night.” The man sighed with relief and relaxed a bit, giving a small chuckle of his own. Bill’s eye raked over the jugular of his throat and he licked his lips at the sight of the pale skin exposed, wondering what it would look like covered in red. _Beautiful…_

“Yeah, I can relate,” He said, “Wanna sit and talk it over with a drink?” He asked. Bill nodded and walked forward.

“But of course,” He licked his lips again before smiling, “Detective Pines.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment or critique (If ya want!!)

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! First fanfic guys! Not bad for a first chapter, am I right?
> 
> *cricket noises*
> 
> Ahem, anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope you all buckle up and enjoy the ride!! Sorry about my writing skills and any grammar errors! 
> 
> Please leave a comment! (If ya want!)


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